Nettie Irene Faris

April 8, 2014

Nettie Irene Faris passed away February 24, 2014 when the angels escorted her to the throne of her heavenly Father and into the presence of Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior.
She was 97-years, four months and seven days old.
Nettie was born October 17, 1916 to Roque Q. and Nellie May Hill Uribe at Turk, WA. Doctor McRae stepped out of the room to get a cup of coffee, and she arrived without his help.
Turk was once a booming mining town where two mines employed about 300 men in 1905 with a population of about 80 people. Located at the east end of Fruitland Valley, there is no longer any sign of the town.
Raised on a homestead with two brothers and three sisters, she wanted to continue school after the 8th grade. Her father told her, â€śGirls donâ€™t need no more education,â€ť but she argued that her brothers were going and she wanted to also. Finishing high school in only three years, she graduated in 1936 from Columbia High School in Hunters as class Valedictorian.
Leaving home as a traveling companion, she arrived in New Mexico where she met and married Abraham J. â€śBrownâ€ť Faris in October 1939.
Shortly thereafter, he had to leave his new bride behind when he joined the Army-Air Force and participated in D-Day and Normandy Beach during WWII. When Brown returned from the war, he and Nettie lived several years in Albuquerque where his family resided before moving to Walla Walla, where they raised their three daughters. Nettieâ€™s brothers and sisters were near, and they visited often.
Though her one occupation was being a mother and homemaker, in later years Nettie was employed for seven years by social services to help the elderly so they could stay in their homes. For this job, she learned to drive at 60-years-old. She retired in 1982.
After Brown passed away, she moved to north Pasco to be near her two daughters who farmed there, but she continued to live on her own. After falling and breaking her hip at age 90, she finally conceded to assisted living in Kennewick. Later, she moved to Richland Lifecare Center.
Nettie loved the Lord and reading her bible. She enjoyed getting together with her family, especially family reunion campouts in the summer time. She loved reading, sewing, cooking, gardening, and canning her produce, and going to yard sales with Brown. With a sharp mind and very good memory, she aided one daughter in putting together several extensive family trees.
After keeping in touch with her high school friends through many years and attending the Pioneers of the Columbia Picnic reunions, she celebrated her 60th class reunion in 1999 with several classmates.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Brown, in 1987; her parents Roque and Nell (her father lived to be 94); two brothers, John (Lois) Uribe and Charles (Beth) Uribe; three sisters, Mary (Gene0 Beach, Amy (Tom) Lorranger, and Marie (Guy) Garvin.
She is survived by three daughters, Rella and Jim Gleaton, Addy; Lana and Dick Cline, Pasco; Teena and Mike Koch, Benton City; five grandchildren, Neal and Anne Gleaton, Sheryl Wilkinson, Jennifer and Dan Yochum, Janie Lueck, and Jeremy Barnhart.
She also leaves behind five great-grandchildren, Cameron and Rene Wilkinson, and Noah, Abraham, and Olivia Gleaton. There are numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family still living in the Hunters area.
Interment was held at Greenwood Park Cemetery in Hunters on March 8 with Don Bowe officiating.